Wimborne Minster folk Festival

[watervole]

 Here's some of the festival highlights for all you poor souls who weren't there.

First of all, this is me when I unexpectedly got dragged into the set by the Knights of King Ina.
(I'm not a Cotswold dancer, but I have attended a couple of their workshops and I guess some of the footwork must finally have got into muscle memory, as I didn't do too badly! Though Portsmouth is a very easy dance as jigs go)
It was fun, and an unexpected bonus.

Watch on YouTube

Second, Fosbrooks.  The sleeper hit of the festival.  A group of school children from Stockport (near Manchester)  They were pretty much ignored on our web site pre-festival as no one knew them. But I'd invited them all that way for good reason.  Once they started performing, the audience absolutely loved them and Google Analytics showed a massive boost in hits on their page.
Here they are, dancing their local step dance tradition, as they have done for the last 40 years.

Watch on YouTube

and another sleeper hit - Northgate Rapper.  
They were with us last year, but danced mainly in the pubs. Rapper is a natural pub dance, as it is a short dance and takes up very little space. And rapper dancers like pubs...
This year, they still did the pubs, but I also gave them a number of spots in our best venues.
If you think they are good here, trust me when I say that seeing them live from a distance of 2m is scary. Those sword swipes under the feet are terrifying and the first time I saw that final move....
(When they aren't on a stage, they get the audience to come in really close, just so you can get the full terror!)

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[kotturinn]

I wish I lived near you.
I see what you mean about Northgate's final move - in fact everything from about 3:11 on!
Those kids are just bloody jaw-droppingly fantastic!!

[aunty_marion]

Those schoolkids were amazing! I do like a good bit of cloggy-dancing - we used to get some occasionally up in Staffordshire, as the local theatre (Victoria Theatre) insisted that all the cast could sing or play an instrument, and dance; one member taught them all to clog-dance once, and they passed the skill on, I think.

The Northgate Rapper dance was stunning, too.

[watervole]

Agreed totally about Northgate. Last year I thought they were amazing. This year, they got even better!

I consider myself luck that they are based in Bath which actually makes it possible for them to come to Wimborne near the South Coast.

Most rapper teams are based much further north (It is a NE miner's dance in origin)

[watervole]

Fosbrooks beat most of the adult teams for sheer professionalism. And we have some very good adult teams.
I believe the Fosbrooks Folk Education Trust runs Saturday morning sessions at the school for most of the year. They are well attended.

[paranoidangel]

I can't believe those kids were playing and dancing! And the Rapper was impressive.

[msilverstar]

Both of them great, dynamic, precise!

Are either or both wearing taps on the bottoms of their shoes?

[watervole]

LOL! I'm guessing that you're not referring to my jig dancing.

Northgate have hard soles, but they aren't taps. Taps would be too high a risk of slipping with rapper. You can get shoes for rapper with a resin sole that has some flex, but still taps well. https://www.onestopmorrisshop.co.uk/shop/category/kit-rapper-shoes-1

I wouldn't be surprised if Fosbrooks have clog irons. http://www.themorrisshop.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=201
but I don't know for sure.

[suenicorn]

That’s you in the purple top? Well done! And those kids are very impressive! Are they actually playing the fiddles or is it just a part of the dance? Anyway, the steps are great.

[watervole]

Yes, that's me in the dark blue top and turquoise skirt. One of my best moments at the festival - apart from watching all the children I'd been teaching!

Yes, they really are playing the fiddle. Amazingly talented.